New Beginnings
by CSI Liberty
Summary: How did Grissom and Sara become lovers? Spoilers for Butterflied and on. Episodes interwoven into the story.
1. Chapter 1

**Characters are not mine, I just love them and hope I can do them justice. Hope you enjoy my ramblings...**

Grissom sat in the small interrogation room with Brass and Dr. Lurie. He couldn't believe this smug bastard was going to get away with murder and there was nothing he could do about it. Perhaps if he tried to relate with him on a personal level he could get him to divulge some information. Dr. Lurie and his lawyer got up from the table and walked towards the door when Grissom spoke.

"It's sad isn't it doc. Guys like us, a couple of middle aged men who've allowed their work to consume their lives. The only time we touch other people is when we're wearing our latex gloves. We wake up one day and realize that for fifty years we haven't really lived at all, but all of a sudden we get a second chance. Somebody young and beautiful shows up, somebody we could really care about. She offers us a new life with her, but we have a big decision to make right, because we have to risk everything we've worked for in order to have her. I couldn't do it."

He continued to speak, while Sara stood at the two way mirror watching as Grissom opened up to the suspect. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. During the entire Debbie Marlin case Grissom had avoided her and she couldn't understand why. She had seen Debbie's body and saw the resemblance to herself that the rest of the team was talking about, but she didn't know why that would affect Grissom, after all the rest of team was able to go on business as usual. Now as she listened to Grissom speak to Dr. Lurie she began to understand. He had feelings for her and despite those feelings his career came first. That was the reason he said no when she asked him out for dinner. She wasn't worth the risk. She was devastated and needed to get out of there as quickly as possible. She yanked the door open and walked quickly out to the parking lot.

Grissom sat in the interrogation room alone. Alone, that's what he was. His entire life has been spent alone. How did this happen? Wasn't it just yesterday that he was young and starting out in his career? And now here he sits, alone, consumed by his job, and this case. The shock of seeing a woman who could have been Sara's twin, staring at him with lifeless eyes had sent his mind in a whirlwind. He needed sleep and time to decompress from the past few days. Grissom picked up his cell and started to dial.

"Willows", was the response from the other end.

"It's Grissom. I just finished with the suspect from the Marlin case. We haven't got enough to make an arrest, so he's going to end up walking. I wanted to let you know that I'm heading home now and I've decided to take tomorrow off, so you've got shift tomorrow night."

"Good idea. I'm glad to see you've decided to get some rest. I won't bother you unless it's an absolute emergency." Catherine replied.

"Thanks Cath." Grissom turned off his cell and made his way out of the building.

Sara walked into her apartment and made her way to her bedroom. She changed out of her clothes and into sweat pants and a t-shirt, and then lay down on her bed. She stared at the ceiling hoping that sleep would take over, but no such luck. She felt like her heart was breaking all over again. Some how she thought when he said no to dinner he might eventually change his mind, but now she wasn't so sure. What could possibly change that would make him put her ahead of his career? For the first time it seemed final, he would never love her the way she loves him. So now what? Does she run away or does she try and move on while she continues to work beside him? This was the debate that continued in her head until sleep finally took over.

Grissom entered his townhouse and put his briefcase down and threw his keys and phone on to the table beside the door. He walked straight back to his bedroom and took off his pants and threw them onto a chair near the window, followed by his shirt. He then entered the bathroom where he brushed his teeth and splashed some water on his face. He looked up into the mirror and studied the reflection staring back at him. Who was this man? He used to date, have fun. Now he can't even remember the last time he was out with a woman or let alone with one. Sara. His mind came back to her, as it had been the entire time he was working on the Marlin case. They've drifted so much in the last couple of years that he wasn't even sure he could call her his friend anymore. They've know each other for so long and yet it was like they didn't know each other at all. He missed their talks they used to have prior to her coming to Vegas, prior to him becoming her boss. He shook himself out of a daze and walked into his bedroom and collapsed on the bed without even getting under the covers. Exhaustion took over in no time.

Sara woke up about 4 hours before shift. She still hadn't decided if she was going to face her problem head on or run away. She did know she wasn't ready to face Grissom yet, but she also wasn't ready to talk to him either. If she wanted to take the day off it would mean having to call him. She sat on the edge of the bed for five minutes while she debated her course of action. Finally she reached for the phone and dialed his number. If she had any luck, his voice mail would pick up. Turns out she had some luck.

"Grissom, its Sara. I'm not feeling so well and was hoping to take today off. If it's going to be a problem call me." She hung up quickly and walked towards the bathroom for a long hot shower.

Grissom finally began to stir out of his sleep. He got out of bed and made his way out to the kitchen to put a pot of coffee on. He then went to the front door to retrieve the paper and while there noticed his cell phone that was turned off. He grabbed the paper and the phone and walked over to the dinning table. He sat down and turned on his phone to check for messages. There was only one. He listened to Sara's message and though that it was odd she was calling in sick. She never did that. He hoped she was ok. He started to dial his phone.

"Willows."

"Cath, its Grissom. Sara left me a message saying she isn't feeling well and wants the night off. Can you cope without both of us?" Grissom asked.

"I'm sure I can." Catherine answered.

"Ok. Well if things get busy call me and I'll come in." Grissom told her.

"Oh believe me, I will." Catherine told him and hung up.

Grissom then dialed the phone again.

"Sidle."

"Hey Sara, its Grissom."

_Oh crap. I didn't want him to call me back. _Sara thought.

"Oh, hey Grissom. Is there a problem with me taking tonight off?" She asked.

"Oh no, no problem. I just wanted to let you know it's going to be ok. How are you feeling?" He asked.

_I'm feeling like I've had my heart ripped out of my chest. _"Oh, well, I'm feeling pretty crappy."

Grissom could sense sadness in her voice and thought it must be because of her illness. "Well get plenty of rest and I hope you feel better." He paused for a moment while he thought. "Ah, if you need anything call me. I'm off tonight too."

_Fat chance of that happening. _"Thanks Grissom. I'm going to go now. I'll see you tomorrow." She hung up.

Grissom sat there and stared at his phone. He could sense there was more going on with her, but he didn't want to push it. Sara was just as private as he was and he wanted to respect her privacy. He went to the coffee pot and poured some into a mug, then went back to look at the paper and tackle today's crossword.

Sara had made a decision. She liked Vegas and she had friends here. She was going to face her problem head on and be professional about it. She knew the truth now and that meant it was time to stop pining away for Gil Grissom. It was going to be hard to work beside him and see him everyday, but she knew she had to at least try. No more reading into the little comments he would make every now and then, and no more flirting with him. Professional was the way it was going to be.

_**TBC**_


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

It had been a little over a month since Grissom's unintentional confession about his feelings for Sara. She had been working hard at moving on, and some days were better than others. On the hard days she found herself going home at the end of shift and sitting in front of her television with a beer in hand. She knew she wasn't becoming an alcoholic, but it did feel good to drown her sorrows every now and then.

Today was one of the good days. She was working a case with Catherine, which meant she didn't have to see much of Grissom. Things were okay with the two of them. They weren't fighting and he seemed friendlier than usual. There were moments when she thought this would all be okay and maybe, just maybe, she could get their friendship back to where it was before she came to Vegas.

She was currently standing in the hall at the lab talking to a co-worker when out of the corner of her eye she saw Grissom approaching.

"Sara." He said as he touched her arm. "Excuse me." He stated to the man she was talking to. "Could you, ah, help me out?"

Without hesitation, she answered. "Yeah, with what?" No matter the situation she would always be willing to give him a helping hand.

"A woman." He paused. Sara could hardly believe he was asking her this. "I need you to process a female suspect for me."

Relief was what Sara felt. She smiled and shook her head as she continued down the hall with him as he explained the case.

An hour later Sara had finished processing Grissom's suspect and went off to find him. She found him in the hall outside of the break room.

"Samples from your suspect. There was nothing but a few track marks. No defense wounds, no bruising, junkies usually bruise if you breathe on them too hard. She is a pile of twigs, very frail." Sara told him, but he was looking at her oddly. "What?"

Grissom tilted his head as he looked at her. "I haven't seen you for awhile, have I?"

_Is he out of his mind?_ She thought. "You see me ever day." She replied and walked away leaving behind a confused Grissom.

Why was he suddenly thinking he hadn't seen her in a while? He does see her every day. He wasn't sure what it was, but while she was talking he was overcome with this feeling of missing her. Perhaps he needed to make more of an effort with Sara and work at getting their friendship back. He shook his head and went to find Warrick to share Sara's results.

Later that day, Grissom was sitting in his office finishing some paper work. He found his mind drifting back to Sara. What was it going to take to get their friendship back on track, without giving her the wrong idea about his intentions? He was her supervisor and pursuing a romantic relationship with her was out of the question. He wasn't blind, he knew how beautiful she was, but if he ever gave in to his feelings it could ruin everything. His career, her career, and not to mention any chance of a friendship. That was more important to him than anything. At that moment Sara and Nick appeared at his door.

"Hey Boss. We were just heading out to grab some breakfast. You want to come?" asked Nick.

Grissom thought for a moment and then replied. "Yeah. Just let me finish this up and I'll meet you guys over at the diner."

"Sure thing." Nick replied.

Sara and Nick walked off and Grissom went back to quickly finishing his final report.

Sara, Nick and Warrick sat in a booth at the diner drinking coffee and looking at menus.

"I can't believe he's actually coming." Nick said.

"I know. Have either of you noticed he's been acting a little different lately?" Warrick asked.

"Well he has seemed a tad friendlier than usual." Sara stated.

"Whatever is going on with him, I hope it stays. It almost feels like it did a few years back, and I for one have missed that Grissom." Warrick commented.

Just then Nick noticed Grissom enter the diner, so he waved him over to the table. He slid into the booth beside Warrick.

"So what's everyone having?" He asked as he picked up a menu.

"Well, I'm famished, so I'm having eggs, toast, bacon, and pancakes." Nick replied.

"Nick, you are heading for a heart attack with that kind of diet." Sara told him.

"I don't care. I'm hungry."

The waitress came and took their orders. Sara ordered a fruit plate, and to her surprise Grissom did the same. She quirked her eyebrow at him and he smiled.

"I, unlike Nick, don't wish to have a heart attack." He said.

Their food arrived and the four enjoyed a lovely breakfast with great conversation. They mostly talked about work. Sara told the guys about her most recent case with Catherine and the dead clown. It was a sad but amusing story. Once they finished their meals the waitress came by and took their plates and offered to refill their coffee mugs. Both Grissom and Sara said yes, while Warrick and Nick declined.

"This has been nice guys. We should really do it more often, but right now I need to get home and get some sleep. I'm beat." He said as he motioned for Grissom to let him out of the booth.

"I'm with you there. I am about to fall over." Nick stated.

"Perhaps it's the huge breakfast you had that's making you sluggish, Nick" Sara teased him.

"You know keep those comments up Sidle and I won't pay for your breakfast." He stated as he grabbed the check.

"Oh you don't have to pay for breakfast Nick." Grissom said.

"I know I don't have to, but I want to. You can get it next time Gris."

"Sounds like a fair trade to me." Grissom replied.

Warrick and Nick said their goodbyes and made their way out of the diner. Suddenly Sara realized she and Grissom were alone.

"It's been a long time since just the two of us have had coffee." Grissom said, obviously thinking the same thing Sara was.

"Yes it has." She replied. "I think the last time was in San Francisco."

He could hardly believe it had been that long, but she was right. He nodded his head in agreement.

"It has been far too long." He paused as he thought for a moment. "I miss the interaction we had back then. The comfort and ease of which we could talk to one another. How did we get to this point Sara?"

Sara thought about his question for a moment. She could simply say she didn't know or she could be truthful with him. Perhaps getting everything out in the open once and for all would help their situation.

"I think it's my fault really. Somewhere along the road I fell for you and I shouldn't have, what with you being my boss and all. It would have been putting not just mine, but your career in jeopardy. I'm sorry I put you in that position when I asked you out for dinner." She looked down at the table after she spoke.

As usual Grissom thought for a moment before he responded. "Sara you don't need to apologize. I'm not sorry you asked. I'm just sorry I couldn't say yes. Perhaps a different time and place…"

"Don't." Sara cut him off. "Just don't. Let's just forget about the whole thing and move past it. I miss the friendship we once had too and I would really like to work at getting that back."

Grissom smiled at her. "I couldn't agree more."

"Ok, so that's that. Now tell me what happened with the toothpick I processed earlier." Sara asked as she took a drink of her coffee.

The two sat there and talked about old cases, current cases and even moved on to discuss recent articles they had read. At the end of their coffee, they both agreed it was getting late and needed to get home and get some rest before the start of the next shift. They exited the diner and said their goodbyes as they each went their separate ways. Sara was really feeling good about what had just happened and confident that they could just be friends. This was definitely one day where she wouldn't be going home and turning to the bottle for comfort.

_**TBC **_

_**Please read and review. Thanks!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**_Thanks to everyone for the great reviews. Hope you like the next chapter..._  
**

**CHAPTER 3**

Sara couldn't believe how much progress she had made with Grissom over the last couple of months. On a more regular basis Grissom would join the gang for breakfast after shift and most of the time he and Sara would be the last two to leave, usually after several cups of coffee. They were starting to fall back into their comfort zone with one another. They still didn't talk much about their private lives, but both were private people and they each respected that.

She was feeling happier than she had in a long time and entered the locker room to see Nick sitting on the bench reading a letter.

"Hey." She said.

"Hey." He replied as he looked up from reading and then immediately looked down again.

Sara opened her locker and looked over at him and thought he looked like something was bothering him. "Everything ok?" She asked.

Nick held up the letter and answered her. "This is about the key CSI position. Grissom recommended me."

Sara could sense that he really didn't want to tell her and tried to hide her hurt with a fake smile. "Congratulations."

"It's not necessary, the position was cut." Nick stated as he got up and put the letter in his locker and took out his gun. "Budget had room for the new promotion or a new key engine. Bio-robot Easy One. Greg will be thrilled."

"Yeah." Sara said as she tried to fight back tears.

Nick shut his locker. "Oh well, it's just an honor to be nominated, right."

Sara watched him walk out of the room and sat down on the bench to gain her composure. She was devastated and felt like she had been punched in the stomach. And Grissom was the one to deliver the blow. _How could he do this? Were things not getting better between them,_ she thought. During one of their conversations Grissom had told her he was impressed with the progress she was making as a CSI, but apparently not impressed enough to recommend her for the promotion. She took a deep breath, stood up, closed her locker and headed down the hall.

Later that night, Sara and Grissom were processing Sam Braun's limo for a current murder case. She was still really mad at him and she wanted him to know it. Grissom had just grabbed the tape measure and walked to the front of the limo.

"Nick said the budget for the promotion was cut." She said as she looked at the back tire.

"Two hundred forty inches. Twenty feet." Grissom said as he looked up at her.

"He also said you recommended him." She stated as she let go of the tape measure, so it went flying back to Grissom.

"I did." He looked at her as he picked up the tape measure. She stared back at him then turned her attention to the tire. He then made a note on his clip board.

"Possible neon glass fragments." She stated as she reached for her tweezers. Grissom than got up and walked down to her end of the car. Sara held up the glass for them to both examine. As they looked at the piece, they both looked up at one another. It was obvious to Grissom she was mad at him. She bagged the glass and they both got up to enter the limo. Sara got in first followed by Grissom.

She started spraying the luminol. "You said you didn't have a problem with me."

"I don't." He answered as he was spraying. "I thought that Nick was the best candidate for the position."

"Why?" Sara questioned.

"Because he didn't care if he got the job or not." Grissom answered.

"That's a stupid reason." It was obvious Sara wasn't going to get over this any time soon, so Grissom continued to spray until he found blood.

That day at the end of shift Sara decided to not go out for breakfast with everyone and instead went home to her TV and a bottle of beer. This was definitely one of the bad days.

Grissom was disappointed to not see Sara at breakfast, but he wasn't surprised. She was upset and needed time to get over it. He only hoped she wouldn't let this destroy what they had worked hard at getting back.

A couple of days later Sara was still feeling pretty bummed about the promotion, but life goes on and she had cases to work on. She was currently working up a family tree for the Coombs brothers. One of them raped Linley Parker and she was determined to find who. The case was more difficult than it should have been. Linley made a positive ID with Todd Coombs, but the DNA didn't match, so he was released. However, his DNA did have seven markers in common with the DNA found after the rape. That meant it had to be a brother, but none of them matched it either. A day after Todd had been released, Linley's dead body was found raped and beaten. Eventually, Todd was found guilty, but in Sara's opinion it was too late. She was feeling down when Nick and Warrick asked her out for a drink after work. Sara decided it beat drinking alone at home, so she accepted.

She had only had a couple of beers when the three left the bar and headed out to the strip and parted ways. Sara was surprised when she was pulled over by the police and even more surprised when she blew over. She really thought she was ok to drive. She was sitting in the police station contemplating what happened when Grissom walked in.

_Why did they have to call him? He's going to have questions and I really don't want to get into it with him_, she thought.

Grissom took a seat beside her and reached for her hand. "Come on. I'll take you home."

Sara followed Grissom out to his truck and got in. She was thankful that so far he hadn't asked her any questions. She stared out the passenger side window as Grissom drove toward her apartment. He looked over at her when they were stopped at a traffic light. He knew she must have been embarrassed and was sure she didn't want to talk about it, but he couldn't just pretend nothing happened.

"Sara, I'm going to put you down for two weeks vacation starting tomorrow night." Grissom said as he waited for the light to change.

Sara turned and looked at him. "Grissom I'm fine. I don't want to take a vacation."

"I'm not asking you to take time off Sara. I'm telling you. There's no debate here." Grissom stated firmly.

Sara just stared at him. Who did he think he was? Grissom's next words shocked her as she thought he could read her mind.

"Sara, I'm more than just your boss, I would like to think I'm your friend. Now as your boss I'm telling you that as of tomorrow you are on two weeks vacation. I will have to mark this on your file, but it's between you and me. You are going to have to see a PEAP councilor too." He paused. "As your friend, I would like to say that I'm worried about what's going on with you, but I know you're a private person, so I'm not going to push it. Just know that if you ever need to talk about anything, I'm here for you."

He pulled into the parking lot at Sara's apartment building and parked the truck. He went to get out of the truck, but Sara stopped him.

"Grissom, it's okay. You don't need to walk me to the door. I'll do what you told me and call tomorrow to make an appointment." She opened the door and got out of the truck, but before she shut the door she turned and looked at Grissom. "Thanks." She shut the door and was gone.

Grissom sat there for a moment and made sure she got in okay. Working things out with Sara was going to be harder than he thought, but he was still going to give it the best effort he could. It pained him to see her in so much agony and couldn't help but feel he was partly to blame for it.

_**TBC**_

_** Please R&R. Thanks!  
**_


	4. Chapter 4

**_Once again thanks to everyone for the reviews. I'm really happy you are enjoying it._  
**

**CHAPTER 4**

Sara hated to admit it, but Grissom was right. A two week vacation was just what she needed and finally talking to someone about her problems was a good idea too. The PEAP councilor helped her realize a lot of her issues stemmed from her childhood and the kind of house she grew up in. She tried had hard to forget what happened and certainly never wanted anyone she worked with to find out, but her councilor thought it might be a good idea to tell her boss. She had every intention of telling him the truth, but the whole team was so swamped with cases on her first night back, that she never got the opportunity. By the time end of shift rolled around she was feeling good and felt no need to bring herself down by revealing her sad story.

A couple of weeks later, Sara was in a small video store not far from the lab. She preferred this one to the one near her home because they had an excellent selection of older films and longer rental times. She had decided she wasn't very tired after shift and would unwind with some Alfred Hitchcock. The tough part was deciding which film. She currently couldn't choose between "Strangers on a Train" or "The Birds".

"In the mood for reality or fiction?" Sara turned and was surprised to see Grissom standing behind her.

"Sorry?" She asked, confused by his question.

"Catherine and I once had a case that was pretty much the plot from "Strangers on a Train". However, I haven't encountered a single case with psychotic birds." He smiled at her.

"Oh." She nodded and smiled back. "What brings you in here?"

"Madame Butterfly." He replied as he held up his find.

Sara shifted her movies to under her arm and reached for his film. "A silent movie. That figures."

"I sense disdain in your voice. Not a fan?" He asked as he took the movie back from her.

"To be truthful I've never watched one."

Grissom thought about this for a moment and then decided to do something he wouldn't normally do. "Well if you want to forgo watching murder and mayhem, which I personally get too much of on a daily basis, you are welcome to join me in watching this."

Sara could hardly believe her ears, but decided not to make a big deal out his offer. "Why not, I should give it a try at least once." She replied as she put the two movies back on the shelf.

The two made their way over to the checkout. They agreed on grabbing take out at the dinner across from the lab and Sara would follow Grissom home in her truck. During the drive over Sara tried to get a hold of her excitement. This was not a date. This was one friend watching a movie with another friend. She did it with Greg every now and then and this was no different. She pulled into the parking spot next to Grissom and put the truck in park. She took one final moment to take a deep breath as she grabbed her food and hopped out of her Tahoe.

"This better be good." She told him as they made their way to his front door.

"I give you my guarantee you will enjoy it." He said as he unlocked the door and walked in. He threw is keys on the table and told Sara to make herself at home while he put the coffee on.

She walked into his living room and set her food down on the table in front of the sofa. She took a moment to look around before she sat down. Nothing much had change since she was last here almost four years ago. Plain white walls with mounted butterflies as art. This truly was the home of a bachelor, and an eccentric bachelor at that. She was looking at his bookshelves when Grissom entered the room.

"Anything interest you?" He asked.

_Yeah, you, _she thought and then quickly shook her head to get that idea out of her mind.

"This one." She said as she pulled it from the shelf.

"Ah, "The Insect-Populated Mind", a good choice. It proposes the idea of a close connection between aspects of insect evolution and the human intellect." He stated as he went back into the kitchen to get the coffee and his food. Sara put the book down and followed to give him a hand.

"You're welcome to borrow it, if you would like." He told her as he grabbed two mugs from the cupboard.

"I would, thank you." She watched as he poured the coffee and added cream to both mugs and sugar to one. He handed her the one with only cream. She was a little taken a back that he remember how she drank her coffee. The two walked back into the living room and Sara sat down on the sofa, while Grissom put the movie in the VCR.

"I hope you're ready for a treat." He said as he sat down at the opposite end. Sara just smiled at him.

The two ate and drank coffee while they watched the movie. Sara was actually surprised at how good it was. It was a story of a Japanese woman and the tragedy that ensues when she loves an American naval officer. She had heard of the opera before, but hadn't known much about the plot. Such a sad story, but who knew a movie with no words could convey such emotion. Sara felt moisture on her left cheek and was surprised to see she had shed a tear. The movie ended and Grissom handed her a tissue.

"So, does the tear mean you hated it or you loved it?" He asked with a smirk.

"I loved it. I never thought it could be possible to feel so much emotion without hearing a single word. I guess actions do speak louder."

"Well growing up with a deaf mother, one learns quickly just how loud actions are." Grissom stated. Sara was shocked. That explained why Grissom knew sign language.

"I didn't know." She said.

"How could you. I don't tell a lot of people."

"What was it like?" She asked.

"It was hard at first because she wasn't always deaf. It had developed over time, which gave her time to prepare for it. She taught my father and me how to sign so we would be able to communicate with her. I really admired her. She faced it head on and never once got sad or angry at the situation." He thought for a moment and then decided that if he had shared this much with her, perhaps it was time to share a little more. "It's called Otosclerosis and I had the same problem." He looked at Sara to see her reaction.

"Really? Are you okay?" She asked with concern.

"I'm fine now. I had surgery a little over year ago to correct it. Actually the day you asked me out for dinner was when I had decided to go through with it."

Sara nodded at the memory. "I'm glad you're ok."

"Thanks." He said as he got up to clear the remains of their breakfast away. Sara grabbed the mugs and followed him into the kitchen.

"Well thanks so much for a lovely morning, Gris." It had been a long time since she had called him that. "And thanks for the book. I'll be sure to get it back to you as soon as I can."

"Oh no rush." He said.

Sara walked back into the living room to retrieve the book and made her way over to the door where Grissom was waiting.

"Thanks again." She said as he opened the door for her.

"Any time Sara. In fact, next time I'll let you pick the movie." He smirked.

_He wants there to be a next time? Calm Sidle, remain calm. _"Oh you're asking for trouble."

"I'll take my chances." He said.

"Bye Grissom." Sara said as she walked down the stairs. Grissom smiled and shut the door. Maybe chances were exactly what he needed to take more of, and he thought this had been a fine start.

_**TBC**_

_**Please R&R. Thanks!**_


	5. Chapter 5

**_Once again thanks for the lovely reviews. I hope I can continue to please you all..._  
**

**CHAPTER 5**

It had been a couple of weeks since Grissom and Sara had shared breakfast and a movie. She still hadn't told him about her tormented past and had decided against it for the time being. There was no way she was going to ruin what had been happening between her and Grissom by dumping her problems on him. She wasn't sure how he would handle them or even what he might think of her. Sara started having breakfast with the gang again, which delighted Grissom. He was really beginning to feel as if his friendship with her was getting back on track.

Currently the whole gang was working on a case dealing with a body found in a sewer. The discovery of the bones led them to a house across the street. Sara and Warrick had gone to investigate and found blood inside. Brass had left to work on getting a warrant, while the two CSIs looked around more. Sara opened up a closet door where she found blood. It was at this moment that Warrick noticed about 5 or more pipe bombs and told Sara to back away from the door. However, being the investigator she is, she wouldn't leave without the evidence. Very carefully, the two managed to remove the door and leave without anything happening.

Back at the lab, Grissom had gotten wind of what Sara did. He wasn't wild about her putting her life in jeopardy for evidence. He found her processing the door and decided to ask her about it.

"So what were you trying to prove with this door?" He asked.

"I was just collecting evidence." She said without looking up from her work.

"Well Greg couldn't pull any DNA from the bones, so there's nothing to connect the victim to this anyway." He stated.

"Not yet." She said as she looked up at him. She looked back down at the door and started to swab the blood stain. "I don't have a death wish and I'm not a drunk, in case you were worried."

"I'm not worried." He paused and looked away. "I'm concerned." He walked over to check on his experiment.

Sara smiled. "Isn't that kind of the same thing?" She looked over at him, but he was already engrossed by his decomposing pig, that she never got an answer.

Later that night, Nick, Catherine, Warrick and Greg were in the locker room preparing to head home after a hard shift.

"Who's up for a drink?" Catherine asked.

"Count me in. It's been along day and a beer would taste good right about now." Warrick replied.

"Yeah, me too." Nick Nodded.

"Make that three." Greg added. "Hey we should invite Grissom and Sara out too."

"Invite Grissom and Sara out where?" Sara asked as she entered the locker room.

"We're just going to grab a drink. You in?" Catherine asked.

She thought for a moment while she opened her locker to grab her coat. She hadn't been out drinking or even had a drink since her DUI. She had just told Grissom she wasn't a drunk and that was the truth, so what was the harm in going out with her friends.

"Yeah, count me in." She shut her locker and walked towards the door. "I'll go find Grissom and see if he wants to go. Meet you guys in the parking lot in five?"

"You bet." Catherine answered.

Sara walked down the hall and almost collided with Grissom as he was coming out of his office, brief case in hand.

"I was just coming to find you." She said.

"Well you found me." He said as he started to walk down the hall. Sara followed him.

"The gang and I are going out for a drink. I was just seeing if you wanted to join us." She was hesitant in asking him because she wasn't sure what he would think of her drinking.

"Sounds good. I was just on my way home anyway."

"Great." She said with a smile.

"If you would like I can drive." He said.

Sara immediately took it the wrong way. "Grissom, I told you I don't have a drinking problem and I meant it. It was stupid of me to drink and drive before. I know that, but I know my limits and am quite capable of having one drink and driving myself home." She stated rather firmly.

"Okay." He said and gave her an odd expression. "I was only asking because I thought it was foolish to take 6 vehicles when we're all going to the same place."

"Right." She said a tad bit embarrassed.

"Sara, if you tell me you don't have a drinking problem, then you don't have a drinking problem. I trust you." He said as he opened the door for her and the two exited the building.

"Hey." Catherine yelled from the driver's seat of her vehicle. The other three were already in her car. "We're going to Charlie's. See you two there." She backed out of the parking spot and drove off.

"Shall we?" Grissom asked as he put his hand at the small of Sara's back and led her to his truck. Once there he opened the passenger side door for her and then threw his brief case on the back seat.

"I hope you know where this place is because I don't." He said as he pulled his seat belt across him.

"Yeah. Catherine took me there after I broke up with Hank." Sara pointed to the right. "Take a right out of the parking lot."

Grissom made the turn. "I'm sorry that didn't work out for you, Sara." He wasn't really sure what to say, nor was he really sorry. It was the first time she ever mentioned him.

"Don't be. He was a cheating sac of decomp anyway. I'm better off without him. Besides I never really liked him. He was really dull." She said. "Turn left at the next light."

"Well you definitely deserve better than decomp." He smiled at her and she smiled back.

There was silence for a moment while both of them thought about what to say next. Sara finally spoke. "Grissom, I'm not sure what's come over you in the last few months, but I have to say I like it. It's nice having you hang out with all of us after shift."

"Thanks." He said with a shy tone. "I guess I've just been thinking lately about there being more to life than just work. I used to know the people I worked with, but lately I feel as if I don't."

"I know what you mean." She replied. "That's the place up there on the right."

Grissom parked the car and the two got out. Once again, Grissom put his hand at the small of Sara's back and led her into the bar. She really liked how much of a gentleman he was. She looked around and eventually spotted the gang in the back corner. Grissom leaned forward and as he spoke she could feel his breath tickle her just behind her ear.

"I'll get the drinks. What do you feel like?" He asked.

Sara turned her head slightly and replied. "Bed, I mean Bud." She quickly corrected herself. Grissom smirked at her and walked over to the bar. Sara shook her head and stepped towards the gang. _I can't believe I just said that. _She was mortified. Greg finally saw her and shoved over to make room for her.

"Where's G man?" Nick asked.

Sara pointed towards the bar. "Getting some drinks."

"So that's the perk you get when you ride with the boss. He buys the drinks." Greg nudged her. Sara leered back at him.

Finally, Grissom made his way to the booth and slid in next to Sara.

"Your Bed, I mean Bud." He smiled at her.

Sara cocked her head and raised her eyebrow at him. "Thanks." She said. Luckily no one else heard him.

Everyone was having a great time, laughing and sharing stories about the most bizarre cases they've had. Before they all knew it three hours had passed, when Catherine finally looked at her watch.

"Guys this has been great." She said as she searched through her purse for her wallet. "But I'm going to be a buzz kill and head home. Those that want a ride speak now or get walking."

Nick, Warrick and Greg all threw some money on the table and got up to leave. Both Grissom and Sara moved to let them out. Catherine turned to Grissom and Sara, "Have a good night you two." She said as if to tell them not to do anything she wouldn't do, which was a really small list.

The two sat back down, but this time Grissom sat on the other side of the table. Sara passed him over his beer and as he picked it up he said, "Good, I thought they'd never leave."

Sara nearly spat her mouthful of beer out. "I'm sorry?"

"So have you been enjoying the book I loaned you?" Grissom asked, obviously trying to avoid explaining his comment.

"I have very much. I'm actually almost done." She said.

"Well when you're finished bring it over and you can pick out a new one." He told her.

"Sure thing." Did he just invite her over to his place again? That reminded Sara about the night they watched the movie together, and how he told her they would have to do it again. Perhaps it was time to see if he was serious about that. "Do you like Monty Python?"

"Monty who?" Grissom asked.

Sara chuckled. "Monty Python. They're a British comedy troupe from the 70s. They had a sketch show, but also did some very funny movies."

"Ah, well as I've never heard of them, I'm not sure if I like them." He stated.

"Well would you like the opportunity to find out?" Sara asked.

"I'm always up for new things. What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking when I bring the book back perhaps I could bring over one of their movies. You did say the next time we watched a movie I could pick." She said.

"That I did." He said as he took a drink. "Are you ready to go?" He asked as he reached into his wallet to pay for the drinks. Sara stopped him.

"Put your money away Gris. You got the first round, so I'm getting this." She said as she threw her money on the table.

Grissom got up and extended his hand to Sara to help her out of the booth. "Well thank you very much."

Sara took his hand. "You are very welcome." To her surprise Grissom didn't let go until they reached the exit, at which point he opened the door for her.

_I could get used to this._ She thought to herself.

"Do you want me to drop you off at the lab or your apartment?" He asked as he opened the car door.

"Well if you drop me off at my apartment I won't have a way to get to work tomorrow." She told him once he got in the car.

"I could pick you up if you want?"

Okay this was getting weird. Where was Grissom and who was this imposter? Sara decided it would be for the best if she drove herself home and to work tomorrow. She really needed to think about what was going on.

"Thanks for the offer, but I have some errands I need to run before shift tomorrow." She told him.

"No problem." He said as he drove towards the lab.

Once they got there he pulled in next to Sara's car. She unbuckled her seat belt and turned towards Grissom. Why did she suddenly feel like she was saying goodbye at the end of a date?

"Thanks for the drink and the ride." She said, not really sure of what to say.

"You're welcome. I'll see you tomorrow." He replied.

Sara got out of the car and each said good night. Grissom waited until Sara got into her car before he pulled out of the parking lot. During the car ride home, she couldn't help but replay the night's events in her head. She was really starting to feel like she and Grissom were friends again, but no matter how hard she tried to not think of him romantically her mind always went back there. She remembered the way his breath felt on her neck, how his hand felt in hers, and the comfort at which they could talk to one another. She was doomed, but if this was what it felt like, then she was all for it. Who had she been trying to kid? She loved him and would continue to love him until the day she died. So what if it was an unrequited love, at least she had moments like this.

Grissom drove through the streets of Vegas deep in thought. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this good. He was feeling alive again and was sure Sara was the reason for it. He was getting a taste of what it would be like to date her and he loved it. In fact he craved it. Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough. Why did he have to ask her to work for him? If he never had, he would be able to date her no problem. But of course there would have been a problem; she would have been in San Francisco and him here. It was a catch twenty two. Perhaps he could be happy with the way things were. They were friends again and that's what mattered most. He would just have to be content with that and nothing more.

One night towards the end of shift a couple of weeks later, Grissom was sitting in his office when he noticed Sara walk by.

"Hey Sara." He called out.

Sara stopped and turned around. "Yeah"

"We still on for after shift?" He asked.

"Yep. I was actually just on my way to DNA to drop off these swabs and then I'm done for the night."

"Great. I'm almost done here too. I'll meet you in the locker room in 10 minutes." He said.

"Sure thing." She said as she turned and walked away.

An hour later, Sara was sitting on the couch in the same position she was the last time she was at Grissom's house. He was currently in the kitchen getting the coffee ready. _Damn he's cute when he's puttering around the kitchen, _she thought. _Who am I kidding; he's cute no matter what. I would give my left arm to just be able to walk over there right now and wrap my arms around his neck and pull his face down to mine and…_

"Sara." Grissom said.

"What?" She suddenly snapped out of her day dream.

Grissom was laughing. "Where were you? I was asking you what this movie is about."

"Oh, sorry. I, ah, was just thinking about a case." She lied. "It's called the Holy Grail. I'm sure you're familiar with the tale."

"I am." He replied as he put the DVD in the player.

The two ate and laughed throughout the movie. Sara hadn't heard Grissom laugh that hard in a long time. They were enjoying the film so much that neither had noticed they had moved more towards the middle of the couch. By the time it ended they were sitting side by side and Grissom almost had his arm around her as it was lying on the back of the sofa.

"So do I take it by your laughter that I have converted you to the ways of Python?" She asked.

"You most definitely have. I can't remember the last time I laughed like that." He said as he got up and cleared the dishes away.

"I was thinking the same thing. Do you remember that night in San Francisco when we went for coffee and that woman wouldn't leave you alone? She kept swearing you were her long lost son."

"Oh my god! I forgot about that." He said as he started to laugh. "Even after we left she followed us. I didn't think we would ever lose her."

"Yeah, but then you got the brilliant idea of running down that alley and jumping into the dumpster. I swear I smelled like garbage for a week, thanks to you." She said.

"Well we lost her didn't we?" He said as he sat back down on the couch.

"Yes and I guess it was worth it just to see you pop up out of that dumpster with a banana peel on your head." They both started to laugh uncontrollably. After a couple of minutes they finally had their hysterics under control.

"Well, I need to be heading home." Sara said as she got up from the couch. Grissom followed her to the door and as he reached for the knob, Sara leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek. She did it before she even realized it. _Oh my god. Why did I have to go and do that? _She quickly retreated out the door saying goodbye as she left. Everything happened so fast that Grissom wasn't really sure what had happened. All he could remember was what it felt like to have her soft lips pressed against his skin. It was only a second, but he would never forget.

Sara was in agony on her way home. She felt like she had completely messed everything up. She wasn't sure what Grissom's reaction was, nor did she want to find out. With any luck he wouldn't pair her with him tomorrow night and they could forget it ever happened.

_**TBC**_

_**Please R&R. Thanks!**_


	6. Chapter 6

**_This chapter is a little shorter, but there's lots more to come... Thanks again to everyone for the kind words, it's very encouraging._  
**

**CHAPTER 6**

Sara was sitting in the break room eating her lunch when Greg walked in to get a cup of his special brew. He was standing at the coffee pot when Grissom walked in not looking very happy. It had been about a month since Sara had kissed him and luckily they were both acting as if nothing ever happened. Thankfully they had both been so busy with work that neither had time to spend together outside of the lab. Grissom had currently been under scrutiny from Ecklie for a case where it appeared Grissom had missed a fingerprint on a key piece of evidence. Of course that wasn't the case, but Ecklie saw this as his opportunity to put him under the microscope and do some snooping around.

Grissom took a seat at the table across from Sara. "I'm glad the two of you are here. I have some bad news."

"What is it?" Greg said as he took a seat.

"Well as you both know Eckile has been doing an internal investigation into how I run my shift." Both Sara and Greg nodded. "It would seem that he feels it's best if he splits our team up."

"What!?" Both Greg and Sara exclaimed at the same time.

"He can't do that." Sara stated.

"He can and he has." Grissom replied. "He's promoted Catherine to swing supervisor and given her Nick and Warrick. I have the two of you and Sophia."

"Sophia? But she's acting supervisor on days. Why is anything happening to her?" Greg asked.

"Because she was investigating how I handled the hardware store case and found nothing wrong. Unfortunately for her that wasn't the answer Ecklie wanted, so he demoted her." Grissom said.

"What a sleazy prick." Greg said.

"That is true, but the damage is done, so now we just have to deal with it. I'm going out for breakfast with Nick and Warrick. Do either of you want to come?" He asked mostly looking at Sara.

"Sorry I have some evidence I need to check on." Greg stated. "I'll see you later." He left looking as if someone had shot his puppy.

"What about you?" Grissom asked Sara.

"I can't. I have a dentist appointment." Sara lied. She was feeling bad about the situation and possibly to blame. After all, Ecklie had come to her asking questions about her PEAP counseling and if Grissom followed up with her. He hadn't and she tried her best to lie for him, but perhaps Ecklie saw through it.

"Ok." Grissom said as he got up from the table. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

Sara sat there for a little while longer contemplating the new situation. It was going to be odd to not work with Nick, Warrick and Catherine. She definitely wasn't looking forward to spending more time with Sophia. What little she had seen of her, she knew she didn't like. Oh sure it was probably the green eyed monster making appearance, but she didn't care. She hated the way Sophia behaved around Grissom, and knew she was jealous. Sara needed to unwind, so she decided to head to the gym on her way home. A good workout would help clear her thoughts.

A couple of weeks had passed since the team had been split. Sara was still feeling guilty about it and decided she should talk to Grissom about it.

"Hi." She said as she knocked at his office door. Grissom looked up from his papers. "Got a minute?"

"Sure." He said as he put the papers down.

"We really haven't had a chance to talk since the staff changes." She said as she sat down. "I, ah. I wanted to let you know that I said some things to Ecklie that might have done the team a disservice."

"Ecklie wanted to break up the team and he did." Grissom said.

"He asked me if you and I had our post PEAP counseling session." She replied.

"And we didn't. Regardless you should never have to cover for your boss. I'm sorry." He said sadly.

"You've always been a little more than a boss to me." She paused. "Why do you think I moved to Vegas?" Grissom pondered her statement. "Look I, I, I know our relationship has been complicated. It's probably my fault. It's probably definitely my fault." She was over talking now.

Grissom interrupted her. "You completed your counseling right?" He asked.

"Yeah, yes." Sara said, thankful he stopped her from going on.

"And?" He asked.

"Let's just say that sometimes I look for validation inappropriate places." They both thought about this for a moment.

Grissom was the first to speak, bringing Sara out of her thoughts. "Look… Let's um…" He was having difficulty getting out what he wanted to say, but Sara thought she knew.

"It's ok, ok." She assured him. "You know what we did our session. Don't forget to document this for Ecklie."

"Right." He smiled at her.

"Thanks." She said as she got up and left.

Grissom watched her walk out of his office and thought about their conversation. Was he really just about to ask her out for dinner? Over the past several months he had gotten closer to Sara, and knew how good it felt to have her in his life. For years he had convinced himself that a relationship with her was off limits, but at what cost. He was alone, she was alone, and it was torture for him to spend time with her and not be able to hold her, kiss her, and make love to her. There had to be a way the two of them could be together and he was determined to figure it out.

**_TBC_**

**_Please R&R. Thanks!_**


	7. Chapter 7

**_Thanks for all your wonderful thoughts and opinions on my story so far. I promise things will heat up, but not for another few chapters. This chapter is dedicated to "Nesting Dolls", so I hope you all like it as much as you've liked the rest..._  
**

**CHAPTER 7**

Sara was flipping through abuse reports trying to identify the plaster face that was sitting in front of her. She was having a hard time looking at face after face of beaten women. She almost wished she wouldn't find the mystery woman in amongst these photos, but she knew the truth. Finally Sara turned the page and there she was. She picked up her phone and called Catherine to fill her in.

A couple of hours later, Sara met Catherine at the lab to question the victim's spouse. In Sara's opinion he was the classic case of a controlling abusive husband. She hated these cases and she hated how Catherine was giving him the benefit of the doubt. Sara knew that he was probably abusing his new wife and wanted to do something to protect her.

"You can't arrest someone for marrying the wrong person." Catherine said as she and Sara walked down the hall.

"You would know." Sara said under her breath, but loud enough for Catherine to hear.

Catherine turned and gave her a dirty look. "If the guy's an abuser, if he killed his first wife we will build a case and we will nail him."

"And in the mean time he can just keep using her as a punching bag." Sara continued to argue.

"Sara I was there. There wasn't a mark on her." Catherine disputed.

"Not that we could see, Catherine." Sara disagreed.

Catherine stopped walking. "You know, every time we get a case with a hint of domestic violence or abuse you go off the deep end. What is your problem?"

"Yeah I probably do. And you let your sexuality cloud your judgment about men and I'm going to go over your head." Sara yelled.

"Sidle!" Sara turned to see Ecklie. "Get in my office now."

Sara followed Ecklie into his office. "You are a law enforcement officer and a representative of this city. That means I expect you to conduct yourself in an appropriate manner, in and away from this lab." He said as he sat behind his desk.

"You know if this is going to be one of your for the good of the lab speeches, don't bother I've heard them." Sara stated snidely.

"Just take a seat." Ecklie said as he opened his desk drawer. "Willows is a supervisor. That means you treat her with respect. Insulting her in front of co-workers…"

Sara interrupted. "She's not my supervisor."

"Alright your superior. Sara, you berate witnesses, you disrespect the people you work with, you luck your way out of a DUI. Take a look." He said as he threw her file on his desk. "You've got half a dozen complaints in your jacket. And if Grissom really documented your performance there would probably be a dozen more. That's not the kind of person I want in my lab."

"The only reason this is your lab is because Grissom doesn't kiss ass. You couldn't hack it in the field, so you fail your way up, you break up our team, and now you just hang out in the hallways waiting for one of us to screw up." Sara stated angrily.

"Sidle you are one week suspension without pay."

"Great."

"And when you get back you're apologizing to Catherine."

"No I'm not." She said as she stormed out of his office.

Ecklie immediately left to find Grissom. As usual he was in his office. Ecklie entered without knocking.

"Grissom." He said as he walked in.

"To what do I owe the pleasure Conrad?" Grissom said sarcastically as he looked over his glasses.

"I've just put Sara on a one week suspension. I've had it with her behaviour and I want her fired."

"What has she done?" Grissom asked sternly.

"She has no respect for authority. I want action taken Grissom and I want it fast." He left without even giving Grissom a chance to respond.

He was going to have to talk to Sara and get to the bottom of what had happened. However, it would have to wait until tomorrow because he was in the middle of a case that could break any moment. He decided in the mean time he would talk to Catherine since Sara had been working with her. He thought for a moment, perhaps Ecklie was right and it was time for him to take action.

Sara was sitting at her desk going over some bills listening to music when she heard a knock at the door. She got up with a beer in hand and answered it.

"Well if you're here it can't be good." She sighed as she opened the door to Grissom.

"Can I come in?" He asked. Sara moved aside for him to enter.

"Want to ask me if I'm drunk?" She joked.

"We both know that's not your problem." He replied. "I spoke to Catherine."

"Ecklie?" She asked standing in front of him.

"He wants me to fire you."

"I figured." She sighed. "Can I get you anything?"

"Sure. An explanation."

"I lost my temper." She said as she shook her head.

'That seems to be happening quite a bit. Do you know why?" Grissom asked.

Sara walked towards the other end of the living room. "What difference does it make? I'm still fired."

"It makes a difference to me." He said softly.

"I have a problem with authority. I choose men who are emotionally unavailable." She motioned towards Grissom. "I'm self destructive. All of the above."

"Have you ever gone a week without a rationalization?" Sara looked at him annoyed. "It's from "The Big Chill". One of the characters describing the basic fact of life that rationalizations were more important to us than sex even."

"I am not rationalizing anything. I crossed the line with Catherine and I was insubordinate to Ecklie."

"Why?" He wasn't going to give up without an explanation. He let it go for too long and he needed to get control of this situation before he lost her for good.

"Leave it alone." She said in a very stand off tone.

"No Sara."

"What do you want from me?" She asked.

"I want to know why you're so angry." Sara just stared at him. Perhaps it was time to tell him the truth. He certainly didn't seem as if he was leaving any time soon.

"Sit down."

Grissom moved over to the couch next to the chair Sara was sitting in. Sara pulled her knees up to her chest as a way to protect herself from what she was about to reveal to her unrequited love.

"It's funny, the things that you remember and the things that you don't, you know. There was a smell of iron in the air, cast off on the bedroom wall. There was this young cop puking his guts. I don't remember the woman who took me in foster care. I can't remember her name. Which is strange you know because I couldn't let go of her hand."

"Well the mind has it filters." Grissom said quietly.

"I do remember the looks. I became the girl whose father was stabbed to death." She paused. "Do you think there's a murder gene?"

"I don't believe genes are a predictor of violent behaviour." He replied.

"You wouldn't know that in my house. The fights, the yelling, the trips to the hospital. I thought it was the way everybody lived. When my mother killed my father I found out that it wasn't." She began to cry.

Grissom reached out to hold her hand. He couldn't stand to see her in so much pain. He had never been good at comforting people, but today he was going to make en effort. He pulled on her hand to bring her to him. He slid over on the couch so Sara could sit beside him. Once she was there he enveloped her in his arms while she laid her head on his chest and stained his shirt with tears. He wasn't sure what to say so he just let her cry. After awhile Sara sat up and looked at him with red eyes.

"I'm sorry." She said as she wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"For what?" Grissom asked.

"I never meant to lose it like that."

"Hey don't apologize. I'm glad you finally told me what's been going on with you. That's a lot to deal with Sara and you shouldn't have to deal with it alone." He said as he brushed some hair out her face. "I've told you before that I'm here for you and I meant it. I know sometimes I don't handle situations like this well, but I'll do my best to help."

"I don't know, Gris. You did a pretty good job today." She told him as she walked over to the kitchen.

"But I didn't know what to say to make you feel better." He said.

"Don't you remember?" She was pouring water into the tea kettle. "Sometimes actions speak louder than words." She turned and winked at him.

"Right." He said shyly.

"Do you want some tea?" She asked.

Grissom got up from the couch and moved over to the kitchen.

"I would, but I have to get to work and since someone got my shirt wet I need to go home and change." He smiled at her.

"Sorry." She said.

"Hey no problem. I'm happy to change it." He moved to the door and opened it. Sara walked up behind him.

"Get some rest and don't worry about work. I'll talk to Ecklie." Sara looked worried. He put his hand on her cheek. "I won't tell him anything. If he wants to fire you he's going to have to fire me to do it." He smiled at her. "I'll see you later."

Sara shut the door and walked over to the stove to get the kettle. She really did feel better having it all out in the open now. If only she could make sense of Grissom's actions because right now they were screaming that he cared. Cared so much he was about to put his career on the line for her. Not that he would actually get fired, but still the gesture was nice.

Grissom didn't talk to Ecklie immediately. He decided he would let him stew for a bit. It was a few hours into shift when Grissom finally got an email from him saying he wanted to talk about Sara. He waited another couple of hours before he went to find him. He was in the break room with Catherine going over paper work.

"You wanted to talk to me about Sara." Grissom said, not caring he was interrupting them.

"I haven't received her disciplinary action. What's the hold up?" Ecklie asked.

"Well I'm not firing her." Ecklie looked annoyed.

"What action are you taking?" Catherine asked.

Grissom thought for a moment. "I've taken it."

"I thought I was clear." Ecklie stated.

"Oh you were. Now let me be clear, Sara's behaviour is a direct result of my management." Grissom stated firmly.

"So I should fire you." Ecklie replied.

"But you won't." Grissom said.

Ecklie was really getting annoyed now. "Look Gil, I've been there. We're human, we get attached to people we try to fix their problems. It doesn't work."

"She's a great criminalist Conrad, and I need her." Grissom was starting to see just how much he that was true.

"I'm sure you do. You know what, she's a lose canon with a gun and she's all yours." Ecklie stated as he got up from the table and left the room.

Catherine looked like she was about to say something, but Grissom looked at her and she immediately knew to leave it alone. He turned and walked towards his office to finish his paper work.

Sara was sitting on her couch flipping through the TV channels. As usual there was nothing on, so she left it on the Discovery channel. She got up to prepare herself a cup of tea when she heard a knock at the door. She looked out the peep whole and was surprised to see who it was.

"Grissom." She said as she opened the door.

"Hey, I hope you're hungry." He said as he juggled grocery bags in his arms.

Sara took one from him and moved into the kitchen to set it down on the counter. Grissom followed her in, kicking the door shut with his foot.

"I was just debating about what I was going to order." She said as she took another bag from him and set it down beside the other one. She was really confused as to what was going on.

Grissom sat the last bag down and started taking food out. "Well debate no more. Miss Sidle I would like to introduce you to vegetables, tofu, and rice. When you mix these all together in a frying pan with a little sauce you get a stir fry."

"You're going to cook?" She asked.

"That was the plan." He replied. "That is if you own a pan."

"I'll do you one better smart ass. I own a wok." She said as she bent over to get it out of the cupboard.

"Well I'll be." He said as he took it from her.

"Ah, Grissom I really appreciate what you are doing, but what are you doing?" She said as she was starring at him in disbelief.

"I thought that was clear. I'm making us dinner." He replied.

"Yes, but you don't normally show up on my door step with food and start cooking for me. So excuse me if I'm a little perplexed right now." She replied.

"Well maybe I want to change that." Grissom said as he looked for a cork screw.

"Change what?" Sara asked as she passed him what he was looking for.

"Maybe I want to show up on your door step more often. Would you turn me away if I did?" He asked with a coy smile.

"You know I wouldn't, but I would have to ask if you were calling for business or pleasure." Two can play this game she thought.

Grissom walked over to her cupboard and grabbed two wine glasses. He then walked back to the wine and began pouring. It was driving Sara nuts that he wasn't responding.

"And what if I said pleasure?" He finally said as he handed her a glass of wine.

Sara was stunned. "What are you saying Gris."

"I'm saying that I've noticed how close we've gotten over the last several months, and I like it. But sharing coffee and breakfast with you isn't enough, I want more. That is if I'm not too late?" He asked.

"What about work?" Sara asked.

"They don't need to know. This is between you and me." He said.

Sara thought for sure she had fallen asleep on the couch. There was no way Gil Grissom was standing in her kitchen telling her he wanted a relationship with her.

Sara had completely zoned out and this was beginning to worry Grissom. "Sara, please say something. I know I was a jerk in the past and I know I find it difficult to open up, but believe me when I say I'm trying to change that. You make me want to change that."

Sara finally snapped out of it. "Sorry, you've just thrown me for a loop. I never thought you would be asking me this."

"And now that I am what do you say. Do you want see where this can go?"

"Yes." She smiled at him.

He sighed with relief and smiled back at her. "To new beginnings." He said as he held up his wine glass and they toasted. "And now I need to cook you dinner."

Grissom prepared dinner while Sara set the table. She turned the television off and put on a classical CD. This was really weird. She was about to have a semi-romantic dinner with Grissom. She must have fallen asleep watching an infomercial and was sure she was going to wake up to snow on the TV.

It was the best dinner either of them had eaten in a long time. It didn't matter they were only eating stir fry; they could have been eating SPAM for all they cared. It was the conversation and company that mattered most. They talked for hours about work, cases, science, and bugs. They were both in heaven. It wasn't until Sara yawned that Grissom realized how late it was getting.

"Wow, look at the time." He said as he got up and cleared the dishes. "You've got to get some rest before your big day tomorrow."

"It's my first day back after a week Gris, not my first day of school." She laughed.

"Still, going back to work after that much time off probably feels like Christmas Day for you." He joked. "Hey, now that we've decided to give _this _a try do you think you could call me Gil. When we're not at work that is."

"It'll be hard, but I will do my best to try, Gil." He smiled at hearing his given name on her lips. He walked towards the door.

"Thanks for dinner. Next time I'll have to prove to you I can actually cook." Sara said as she walked up behind him.

"I'll take you up on that." Grissom leaned forward and kissed her lightly and slowly on the cheek. "Good night."

"Night." She said and with that Grissom turned and walked away.

**_TBC_**

**_Please R&R. Thanks!_**


	8. Chapter 8

**_Well since it's Valentine's Day I had to continue you with a little romance... Hope everyone likes it._  
**

**CHAPTER 8**

It had been three days since Grissom had cooked dinner for Sara. Three glorious days and Sara felt like she was on cloud nine. She could still feel his soft tender lips gently kiss her cheek, and longed to feel more. She wanted their next date to be really special and absolutely perfect, so she found herself currently standing in the middle of Victoria Secret. She knew they were not likely to become intimate with one another so quickly, but on the off chance that things got hot and heavy she wanted to be prepared. She was having difficulty choosing a garment. Who knew there would be so much selection? She looked around and felt as if she had been dropped into the middle of a sorority house panty raid. Suddenly she heard her name and turned to see who could possibly know her here. She was not thrilled to see who it was.

"Catherine. What brings you here?" She asked praying she could get out of there without answering too many questions. The two had patched things up when Sara went back to work, but she was by no means ready to have Catherine help her pick out lingerie to seduce their boss with.

"No reason. I just like to come in and look every now and then. My motto is a girl can never have too much lingerie."

"Right." Sara said trying to sound as if she knew what she was talking about.

"What brings you here? Because no offence Sara, but you never really struck me as the girly type who would want something frilly and sexy. That is unless you have someone to be frilly and sexy for." Catherine questioned.

_Oh dear god kill me now, _she thought. "You're right. I don't normally come here, but I was passing by and thought that I could use a new bra and saw they had a sale on." She said as she noticed the sale sign.

"I see. So what are your plans for the rest of the afternoon?" Catherine asked hoping they could shop together in an effort to work things out more.

"Oh I have some errands to finish before I head to the lab." She looked at her watch. "I've got to get going or else I'm going to be late for shift. I take it you're off today?"

"Yeah." She was a little disappointed that it seemed like Sara was brushing her off, but she expected it.

"Well enjoy your day off and I'll see you later." Sara said.

"Yeah, have fun at work." Catherine said and then walked over to the sale rack.

Sara fled the shop as quickly as she could and cursed Catherine for ruining her shopping trip.

The day had finally arrived for her date with Grissom and not a moment to soon. Sara had finally been able to get back to Victoria Secret and was currently sporting her new black bra and matching thong. She had never owned matching undergarments before and had to admit she felt sexy in them. She also purchased a new black sleeveless v-neck dress that clung to her breasts and then flowed to just above her knees. The table was dressed with her best dishes and candles for a center piece. She had also lit a few candles around the rest of her apartment to give it a soft glow. It was still going to be another hour before Grissom arrived, but it would take that long for the lasagna to bake, so she was just about to put it into the oven when the phone rang. She prayed that it wasn't an emergency with work or even worse, Grissom calling to cancel.

"Sidle." She said as she answered it.

"Hey Sara." It was Grissom.

"Hey Gris. You aren't cancelling are you?"

"Oh no, actually the opposite. I was wondering if I could come earlier than expected." He asked.

Sara sighed with relief. "Yeah that's not a problem. What time do you think you'll be here?" Just then she heard a knock at the door.

"Oh right about now." He said.

She put her phone down and walked over to answer the door. She almost swooned at the site before her. Grissom was wearing a black suit with a white shirt and solid blue tie that matched his eyes. He looked incredible and Sara didn't think she was going to be able to restrain herself from jumping him at that very moment.

"Hi." He said as he smiled only making him more irresistible.

"Hi." She said with the same radiant smile.

"This is for you." He said as he handed her a bottle of merlot.

"Thanks." She said as she stepped aside so Grissom could enter.

"You look beautiful Sara." Grissom said as he entered.

She blushed at the compliment. She wasn't used to receiving them.

"Thanks." She said again. She set the wine on the counter and put the lasagna in the oven. "It's going to be about an hour for dinner would you like a drink to start?"

"That would be great. Thank you."

Sara opened the wine and poured two glasses. Grissom stood there and watched in awe. He could hardly believe he was here and he prayed he wouldn't mess this up. He had never been very good at expressing his feelings or opening up to people, but he was willing to try with Sara.

They sat on the couch sipping their wine. They were sitting in the middle turned into one another so they could talk. Grissom's arm was laying on the back of the couch and Sara could almost feel the heat from his hand as it was a mere inches from her shoulder. She felt like perhaps he wanted to touch her, but he was unsure if he could. She decided to help him out and leaned back a little more so her arm was ever so lightly touching his thumb. He got the cue and began slowly caressing her shoulder.

"So what culinary delight have you made this evening?" He asked.

"Vegetarian lasagna. I hope that's ok."

"Yes and I can't wait to try it, but I have to warn you my mother made a very tasty lasagna."

"Do you get to see your mother often?" Sara asked.

Grissom looked down for a moment and then back up at her. "She died 10 years ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry Gil."

"Thanks. It was difficult because I had always known I was a bit of a loner, but for the first time I truly felt alone. My father died when I was 9, so it had always just been mom and I."

"How did your father die?" She asked.

"You know I'm not really sure. He taught botany. Came home from school one hot and humid day and laid down on the couch. I was watching TV. My mom brought in some cold drinks but she couldn't wake him up. No one would tell me why." He looked sad.

"So is that where you get your love of science?" She asked.

"Yeah, he would always be teaching me about plants and bugs. I guess I just liked the bugs a little more." He smiled at her.

They began to feel more comfortable with one another so the conversation began to flow easily. They chatted about their college days, where Sara learned that Grissom really was a loner. He spent most of his time in the labs and opted to live alone off campus as to staying at the dorms. He dated every now and then, but nothing serious. Sara told him they had that in common.

"For obvious reasons I had issues with trusting men. I was convinced they were going to hurt me, so I would always leave before they got the opportunity." She could see a hint of worry in Grissom's eyes. "But I've dealt with those issues and got past it years ago."

He smiled at her. "Well I'm glad to hear that."

Sara got up to check the lasagna.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Grissom asked.

"You could get the salad out of the fridge." Sara replied.

"I think I can handle that."

The two had a wonderful dinner and Grissom even commented that her lasagna was almost as good as his mother's. They were about to start dessert when Grissom's cell phone rang.

He looked at Sara apologetically. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok." She said.

"Grissom." He said into the phone.

Sara got from his side of the conversation that their date was about to end.

"Yeah, ok. I'll call Sara and pick her up on my way out." He said as he hung up.

"Date's over I take it." Sara said as she got up from the table.

"I'm sorry." He apologized again.

"Stop it. I know the job Gris and it's fine. At least I still get to be with you." She smirked at him.

"I wasn't apologizing for having to go to work, I'm sorry you have to change out of that pretty little dress." He joked.

"Well I'm sorry you have to change too because you look hot." She said as she walked into her room to change. Grissom just smiled. He wasn't used to women telling him he was attractive. Sara returned a couple of minutes later in jeans and t-shirt. She blew out all the candles then moved over to the door where Grissom was waiting.

"Well not as nice as the dress, but still gorgeous." Grissom said as he opened the door.

"Thanks, but I didn't completely change out of everything I was wearing for our date." She winked as she walked past him through the open door.

_Oh this is going to be a long shift,_ Grissom thought.

_**TBC**_

_**Please R&R. Thanks!**_


	9. Chapter 9

**_I'm starting to get to the good stuff now. For those waiting for the M rated stuff, I promise it's coming soon. I hope this chapter is as well liked as the others..._  
**

**CHAPTER 9**

It had been nearly two months since Grissom and Sara began dating and Grissom was getting frustrated. He loved every moment he spent with her, but he still hadn't kissed her. The mere notion was absurd, but mostly due to work they hadn't been able to get that much time alone and when they did, work would usually call and interrupt. They were both workaholics and it was proving more difficult than he thought to stop, but he was going to do his best to rectify the problem.

Grissom was currently walking down the hall towards his office when he suddenly heard Greg talking to Sara.

"Sara I just want you to know that when we were in the shower I didn't see anything."

Grissom stopped and turned to see the two walking by.

"Really, gosh I saw everything." Sara joked with Greg, but also knew that Grissom had heard them. In the words of Ricky Ricardo she would have some "s'plaining to do" later.

Grissom quirked an eyebrow and wondered what the hell that was all about. He hadn't even had the chance to passionately kiss her and Greg was sharing a shower with her. This was a cruel, cruel world.

Later that shift Grissom found Sara sitting in the break room. He poured himself a cup of coffee and then sat down in front of her with his latest crossword puzzle. He decided he was going to have a little fun with her.

"Hmmm," he said, "someone smells clean."

"I thought you might have heard in the hall. I can explain." She said.

"Ok go ahead."

"Greg and I were processing the scene when suddenly hazmat showed up and dragged us out, stripped us and hosed us down. Apparently when Doc Robbins was doing the autopsy a black puss came out of the victim's eye and he thought it suggested an air borne agent, so he took the precaution to get us out of there."

"I know." He said. "I just came from seeing Robbins and he told me the story."

"So you just wanted to what, see me squirm?" She asked.

"Yeah, basically." He winked at her. "So, I saw on the schedule we both have tomorrow night off."

"Yes, what are the odds of that happening?" She stated sarcastically.

"Oh, about one in a million." He smiled. "Would you like to help me with an experiment tomorrow night?"

"What's the experiment?" She asked.

"Oh that's top secret, but I can guarantee it will be worth your while."

"Well how can I refuse an offer like that?" She replied.

"Great, I'll swing by and pick you up at ten." He picked up his puzzle and coffee and was gone.

The next night Sara was getting ready for what she was sure would be another fabulous date with Grissom, provided work didn't interrupt again. She was just putting some lip gloss on when she heard a knock at the door. _Early as usual, _she thought.

She opened the door to a very casual looking Grissom, wearing faded jeans and red polo shirt. She was glad that she opted for similar attire of jeans and a tight fitting t-shirt.

"Hi", he said as he made his way into her apartment. He was feeling more comfortable around her and didn't wait for an invite any more. "Sorry I'm early again, but I guess I'm always anxious to see you."

"It's okay. I'm ready to go anyway." She said.

"Great, you may want to grab a jacket though, because it could get cold once we leave the city." He told her.

"Leave the city? Well I am intrigued." She stated while she grabbed her coat.

The two exited her apartment and made their way to his Tahoe. During the entire ride Sara tried to get more information out of Grissom, but he just wouldn't budge. They finally arrived at their destination.

"Gil isn't this about a couple of miles from where we found that woman burned a couple weeks ago?" She asked.

"Yep." He said as he got out of the truck and made his way to the back. Sara got out and followed him.

"So what experiment are we conducting out here?" She asked.

Grissom was taking a blanket out and was laying it on the grass.

"When we were out here that night I told you this was an excellent spot for star gazing." He said as he pointed up. Sara tilted her head back and could see the sky was full of them. "You also told me it was a good spot for making out." He had gone back to the truck and retrieved a picnic basket and a small portable radio. "I thought we could see if we were both right." He smiled at her.

"Hmmm, I hope the results we find are positive." She smirked.

"I'm sure they will be, but first we have to get rid of a couple of items. May I have your cell phone please?" He asked as he took his out of his pocket. Sara handed hers over and he turned both of them off. She raised her eyebrow at him wondering what he was doing. "I've had it with interruptions. If there is an emergency it can wait until our date is over." He said as he tossed the phones into the back of the truck. "Now Miss Sidle," he said as he put his hand out for hers, "on with the test." He led her over to the blanket.

Sara stretched out while Grissom turned the radio on to a classical station and then took out a bottle of champagne, two glasses and strawberries from the basket. She couldn't help but smile when he handed her a glass and stretched out beside her.

Sara looked up at the sky. "This is really beautiful Gil. When I was in San Francisco, I used to go out to Baker Beach at night to look at the stars. It may sound silly, but they gave me comfort." She turned and looked at him. "Once we met, I fell for you instantly. I just never had the courage to tell you. After you left I took comfort in knowing that even though we were in different states, the same stars that I was looking at were shining down on you."

Grissom felt like he was the luckiest man alive. How could he have ignored his feelings for her for so long? He had been a fool, but now was the time to make up for all of that. He leaned forward and captured her lips with his. The kiss was slow and sensuous, a gentle pressing of lips. Grissom moved his hand to the side of her face and lightly caressed her cheek with his thumb, while Sara's hand found her way to the back of his neck and toyed with his curls. This lasted for about a minute then they both pulled apart from one another. No words were needed in this moment. Grissom had finally tasted what he had been famished for and he wanted more. He reached for Sara's champagne glass and set both of them on the ground. He then turned back to her and lightly caressed her temple and then moved his other hand to the back of her head to draw her in closer. This time when he kissed her there was more need. He lightly slid his tongue along her lips and she willingly opened. Before either had realized it, they had laid back on the blanket and hands began roaming. Sara was stroking his bearded cheek, while the other hand was running up and down his side. Grissom had one hand in her hair and the other at the small of her back, where he had lifted her shirt and was softly running his hand up and down. No words could describe the bliss they were feeling. This went on for ten minutes when they both stopped in a need for air, also realizing if they continued they would suddenly find themselves consummating their relationship in a very public, yet secluded place. Something neither wanted to do, at least not for their first time.

"Wow." Sara said as she caught her breath. "I can't remember ever being kissed like that before."

Grissom smiled at her. "I'll take that as a compliment."

She smiled back at him; in fact she didn't think she would ever be able to frown again. She felt as if her heart was going to explode out of her chest. Sara nestled up beside Grissom as he wrapped his arms around her. They stared up at the stars.

"So I guess we can conclude this is a good spot for both star gazing and making out." Grissom said.

"Most definitely." Sara replied happily.

They laid there for an hour until Grissom noticed Sara's breathing had changed. He looked down and saw she had fallen asleep. He placed a light kiss on the top of her head and stayed there for another half hour just enjoying the feel of her in his arms. Finally once he started getting tired he knew it was time to go, so he gently woke her.

"Honey," he said quietly. She stirred slightly. "It's time to wake up."

She opened her eyes and smiled at the two blue ones staring back at her. "Oh I'm sorry. I can't believe I fell asleep."

"Hey no problem, I rather enjoyed having you snuggle up to me, but it's getting late." He said.

The two gathered up the remains of their night picnic and got in the truck to head home. During the entire ride Grissom held Sara's hand, feeling more confident in his intimacy with her. Once they arrived at her apartment, he walked Sara to her door and kissed her goodnight, like he had wanted to so many times before. When they pulled apart Sara looked at him and smiled.

"I like this." She said.

"I do too." He replied as he leaned forward to kiss her again only deeper this time. Sara eventually pulled away.

"Do you want to come in?" She asked.

"As much as I would really like to, I think I better not." He replied as he pushed some hair out of Sara's face. He wanted nothing more than to take Sara into her apartment and make love to her, but he wanted the moment to be right and this wasn't it. "But I'll call you tomorrow morning and we'll make plans before shift."

"Ok. Goodnight then." She smiled at him.

"Night." He said as he leaned forward and gave her one more quick kiss.

Sara entered her apartment and leaned on the door. She never thought it was possible to feel this happy, but she was finally feeling it, and with all people Gil Grissom.

**_TBC_**

_**Please R&R. Thanks everyone for the great comments. It's very encouraging!**_


	10. Chapter 10

**_Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up. I will try and get the next one up sooner. Thanks again for all the great reviews I really appreciate it. This chapter contains spoilers for Committed. Enjoy..._  
**

**CHAPTER 10**

Grissom was currently sitting in his office going over that night's work. He was trying really hard to concentrate on what he was doing, but was having a hard time. He couldn't stop thinking about his night under the stars with Sara. He was getting to the highlight of the evening when his phone rang.

"Grissom." He said as he answered.

"Gil, it's Jim. We've got a 419 out at Desert State Psychiatric Hospital." Brass stated.

"Okay I'll be there in forty minutes." He said as he hung up. He grabbed his clip board and made his way to the break room. Once he walked in his eyes immediately found Sara's and they locked looks for a moment before Grissom finally spoke.

"Ok, we don't have much tonight, so Sophia and Greg you two are in the lab catching up on paper work and helping with any evidence Sara and I collect. Sara you're with me, so grab your stuff and meet me in my office in five minutes." He turned and left the room.

"Man that bites. I hate doing paperwork." Greg complained as he went for the coffee pot.

"It's all part of the job Greggo, get used to it." Sara said as she left the room. She was happy to be working with Grissom and not stuck in the lab.

Sara was not thrilled when Grissom told her where they were going. She hated hospitals; and mental hospitals even more. She was doing her best to handle the case and remain professional, but it was trying. An inmate by the name of Robbie Garson had been suffocated with a pillow and then had his head smashed. Currently another inmate, Adam Trent, had confessed to beating Robbie, but in his confession mentioned nothing about smothering him. This had lead Sara and Grissom to believe he was covering for someone else and evidence was starting to suggest a nurse, Joanne McKay.

They were currently looking around the nurse's station to see if they could find more evidence. Grissom was trying to get into the desk, but couldn't.

"I'm going to find someone who can open these drawers." He said.

"Okay." Sara replied. Grissom left and Sara continued to look around.

"Hey." She heard a voice from behind and immediately knew it wasn't Grissom's. She turned and saw it was Adam.

"Are you a spiritual person?" He asked as he closed and locked the door.

"Sometimes." Sara replied.

"Do you believe everything happens for a reason? That bad things are there to teach us a cosmic lesson? You know maybe all are problems can be cured by tuning into a higher frequency." Adam continued to speak. Sara was trying to remain calm and reached behind her to grab a needle that was on the desk. "There's this one guy I read he believes that illness, anxiety, and fear all occur when people vibrate at ten thousand cycles a second."

He kept approaching Sara as he spoke and once he was close enough she tried to stab him with the needle, but he grabbed her and brought her to the ground. She tried to fight back, but stopped once she felt something sharp at her throat. Adam spoke. "If we could just get up to a hundred thousand cycles per second, they would be in the realm of sound, light, and spirit and everything would be just fine." Sara shook her head and agreed with him.

"You know what I think," he said, "I'm just vibrating at the wrong frequency."

Just then an orderly and Grissom returned to the station to find it locked. Grissom went to the window and looked in to see what was going on and couldn't believe what he was looking at. Fear immediately struck him. Sara saw Grissom at the window and couldn't take her eyes off of him, pleading with him to help.

"Oh dear god. Open the door." Grissom stated to the orderly, not losing eye contact with Sara.

"I can't." He said as he tired.

"Just open the door." Grissom said again. He could see Sara was scared and he wanted to get her out of there. "Please open the door." He said again to orderly a little more forceful than last.

Adam was beginning to get agitated and told Sara to keep her eyes on the floor. Suddenly Nurse McKay came running into view yelling for Adam to stop. He reacted to her and let go of Sara, at which point she pushed him and went running for the door. Adam then took the ceramic shard to his own throat. Grissom stood there and watched as Sara went flying past him to the end of the hall and then he looked back at the scene with Adam.

Grissom gave Sara a moment and then went to her. She was facing the window when she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Grissom asked. Sara turned and saw he was really concerned.

"I'm fine." She said as she leaned against the wall. She stood there for awhile before she spoke again. "When my father died my mother came to a place like this for awhile for evaluation. It looked the same, it smelled the same. It smelled like lies."

"You sure you're okay?" Grissom asked again.

"Crazy people do make me feel crazy." She replied and tried to laugh it off.

"If you want, I can have someone take your place." He offered. His voice was so gentle and caring.

"I appreciate that. I do, I really do, but I kind of made a decision beyond that and I really want to finish this case." Suddenly Nurse McKay came running over accusing them of disrupting things and blaming them for the attack. To Sara that sounded like talk from a guilty person.

Grissom and Sara continued on with the case and found that Joanne McKay was Adam Trent's controlling mother, who had replaced her dead husband with her young son. It explained Adam's mental and violent condition and why he started having a sexual relationship with the victim. This had outraged Joanne and she killed Robbie.

At the end of shift Sara was so exhausted she left without saying good night to Grissom. She really just wanted some time alone, mostly impart because she was used to handling a bad day on her own and not turning to someone for support. She was on autopilot and did what came naturally.

An hour after the end of shift, Grissom went looking for Sara and couldn't find her any where. He thought it was odd she hadn't stopped by to say she was leaving, but figured there must have been a reason. He decided he would stop off at her apartment on the way home and make sure she really was okay.

Sara had just gotten out of the shower when she heard a knock at the door. She wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone, but she figured it was probably Grissom and should answer it. She put her robe on and made her way to the door.

"Hey." She said as she opened it.

"Hey, can I come in?" Grissom asked.

Sara moved aside and let him enter.

"Can I get you anything?" She asked.

"Tea would be great if you have it." He responded.

"Sure thing." She said as she entered the kitchen. Grissom watched her for a moment and could see there was something wrong. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Sara just stood there enjoying the feel of his hug, trying hard not to break down.

"Sara you don't have to go through this alone." He whispered in her ear. "Please talk to me."

Sara turned around in his arms and saw just how much he cared. He was right. She didn't have to go through this on her own.

"Why don't you finish the tea and I'll go get dressed. Then I promise I will sit down and talk." She said.

"Deal." He said.

Sara returned wearing track pants and a tank top, to find Grissom sitting on the couch with two cups of tea. She sat down beside him and he reached out put his arm around her.

"I'm not used to this." She finally said.

"I know. Me either, but the main thing is that we work through it together." He said.

"I guess this case just got to me more than I thought it would. I really believed I could handle the out come, but when it became clear that Joanne was Adam's mother…" She couldn't finish her thought. "I don't know, it just amazes me what mothers can do to their children in the name of love. They think they are protecting or not hurting them, but in actuality they are doing more damage then good. Adam Trent could have been a normal person if only his mother had known it was wrong to turn her son into her husband." She leaned forward to grab her tea; she took a drink and then looked at Grissom. "When I saw you standing at that window all I could think was this is it, I've finally got him and now it's over."

"I know honey. I was thinking the same thing. I felt so helpless standing at that door." He said as he lightly stroked her arm.

"You did all you could do, Gil. You didn't take your eyes off of me and I needed that. And I needed this now. Thank you for coming over." She said.

"Any time." He replied.

The two sat on the couch for a half an hour not talking, but just enjoying the comfort they gave one another. Sara was starting to get tired, but didn't want the coziness to end.

"Gil?" Sara said.

"Hmm." He replied. Sara could tell that he was also sleepy.

"Do you remember when I asked you if you would sleep with me, so you could be there when I wake up in the middle of the night?" She questioned.

"How could I forget." He replied quietly.

"Will you sleep with me tonight?" She asked.

Grissom stood up and pulled Sara with him. "Come on." He said as he led her to the bedroom.

Sara pulled back the covers and climbed into the bed. Grissom did the same once he stripped down to his t-shirt and boxers. He very tenderly draped his arm over Sara and pulled her into his body. He placed a kiss on the top of her head and in no time the two drifted off to sleep.

Sara awoke to the feeling of something pressing on her stomach. She opened her eyes and glanced down to see an arm holding her down and suddenly remembered she had asked Grissom to spend the night. She gently rolled over so she was face to face with him and watched how peaceful he looked. She continued to watch him for another fifteen minutes when his eyes began to slowly open.

"Hello." He said.

"Hi." She replied.

"How long have you been watching me?" He asked with a smile.

"Not long. You look very cute when you're asleep." She returned the smile.

"Hmm, you look very cute when you're awake." He replied as he captured her in a kiss.

As the kiss deepened, Grissom pulled her closer to his body and started running his hand up and down her back. Sara began stoking the back of his neck as her tongue wrestled with his, neither really caring about morning breath. Suddenly, Grissom rolled the two of them so Sara was on her back, her shirt lifting a little in the process. It wasn't long before his hand sought out her bare belly and began caressing her, each stroke causing her tank top to lift more and more until Grissom's hand lightly brushed the soft flesh under her breast. The sudden knowledge that he was so close to flicking his thumb across her nipple made him stop his movements and look at her. Sara was confused as to why he halted.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing's wrong. It's just that I want the moment to be right for our first time." He replied as he pulled her shirt down.

"Well the moment was feeling pretty right to me." She said as she glanced down to his groin. Grissom blushed as he looked down at his tenting boxers.

"But I know what you mean," Sara continued as she brought his face up to look at her, "We'll both know when the time feels right and as much as I would like it to be now, it isn't."

"Thank you." Grissom said as he gave her a small peck on her lips. "Now do you by any chance have an extra toothbrush?"

_**TBC**_

_**Please R&R. Thanks!**_


	11. Chapter 11

**_Sorry for the delay people. I had trouble writing this chapter do to the M rating of this chapter, so I hope it turned out okay and everyone likes it as much as they liked the rest. As well, I've gotten a new job so I don't have as much free time, but I will try to update sooner._  
**

**CHAPTER 11**

It had been a few weeks since Grissom slept with Sara and they still hadn't progressed to the next level. However, their comfort with intimacy was getting better thanks to many a night spent at either Grissom or Sara's place. They both feared being seen by someone from work so they never went out, which was fine by them. They much rather have an intimate night in watching a movie, working on a crossword puzzle, or reading. It was amazing how all of these activities would end with them making out like teenagers on the couch.

Tonight's shift was looking to be an easy one. Both Grissom and Sara had wrapped a case and currently had no new ones, so it was going to be a night of paper work. Sara was in need of a break and made her way to Grissom's office to see if he needed the same.

"Hey, care to join me for a coffee break. I was thinking of taking a quick run over to the diner." Sara asked.

"Sounds good. I just want to finish up this last report." Grissom replied.

Sara moved into his office and took a seat across from him. "Anything I can help with?"

"Just sitting there looking gorgeous is all the help I need." He answered with a wink. Sara just smiled at him.

Five minutes later Catherine came running into his office frantic. "Gil, someone has taken Nick."

"What?" Both Sara and Grissom responded with shock.

"He was working a scene when he disappeared. The officer on duty was apparently getting sick and when he was done, Nick was gone. I'm on my way to the scene now, Brass is meeting me there. Will you please come?" She was frightened and talking quickly.

"Of course. Let me grab my kit and I'll meet you in the parking lot." He told her.

Catherine left and Grissom just stared at Sara, as she was staring at him. Both were in shock.

"What do you think happened?" Sara asked, obviously just as scared as Catherine was.

"I'm not sure, but stay here and call Greg to fill him in. I'll call you with any information." Grissom rose from his desk and grabbed his kit.

The team had received information from Nick's kidnapper demanding a million dollars for his return and a connection to a live video feed of him buried underground. Catherine immediately left the lab to find her father, Sam Braun, to get the ransom. When she returned she gave the money to Grissom, who after some resistance agreed to take it, but he was doing the drop. He was currently in his office waiting for the time to go, when Sara knocked at his door.

"Hey." She said as she entered his office and shut the door.

"I take it you've heard." He said.

"Yes. Gil, are you sure about this?" She asked. Grissom knew she was here as his girlfriend and not his co-worker.

"Yes." He got out of his chair and moved over to her. He could see she was worried. "It's going to be okay. Brass will be nearby if anything bad happens."

"That's not reassuring enough for me." She said as she turned away from him.

"Hey," he said as he turned her around, "I promise you the first sign of danger and I'm out of there. I know what kind of person we're dealing with Sara and believe me the last thing I want to do today is die. You and I have some unfinished business to deal with." He pulled her chin up to look at him, than he leaned forward and broke the number one rule in their relationship, no kissing at work. A ringing phone brought the two back to reality.

"Grissom." He said as he answered it. Sara stood there knowing what the call meant. It wasn't long before the conversation was over.

"It's time to go." He told her as he grabbed the bag with the money and walked back to Sara.

"Please be careful." She said.

"I will." He replied and kissed her cheek, then was out the door. Sara stood there praying that would not be the last time she saw him.

Greg, Warrick, Catherine and Sara were sitting in the break room waiting to get word of how the drop went. Suddenly Catherine's phone began to ring and it didn't take her long to answer it.

"Willows." She said. She was silent for a while as she listened to the person on the other end. Sara studied her face and could tell something was wrong.

"Okay Jim, we'll be there a soon as possible." She hung up the phone.

"Catherine what's wrong?" Sara asked with fear in her voice.

"There was an explosion." Catherine replied. At those words Sara felt as if she was going to loose her lunch. "Grissom's okay, but the kidnapper blew himself up before he gave any info about Nick. It's going to be a messy one, so grab your kits and coveralls and let's go."

Sara rode with Greg out to the site and was quite the entire trip. She couldn't get her mind of Grissom and hoped he really was okay. She needed to see him with her own two eyes to believe it. After what seemed an eternity they finally arrived. Sara immediately looked for the ambulance and saw Grissom sitting at the back. She let out a breath she wasn't aware she was holding and walked over to where he was. It took every ounce of self control to not run over and hold him until he couldn't breathe. Grissom felt the same once he saw her, but unfortunately the paramedic was still examining him. Before Sara could even reach him, Catherine came running over.

"Gil. Are you okay?" She asked frantically.

"I'm fine Cath. Don't worry about me; we need to process this as quickly as possible so we can get Nick home." Grissom responded.

"You're right. Come on guys." Catherine and the two guys walked towards the barn. Sara gave Grissom a quick smile to let him know all was fine and followed them in.

The ambulance pulled away with its lights flashing. Ecklie, Grissom, Sara, Brass and Greg watched as it drove off with Nick. Warrick and Catherine rode with him, not wanting him to be alone for a single moment. The five stood there not moving. They were all relieved that Nick was found, but couldn't imagine the horror he still had to endure.

Grissom finally spoke. "I want my guys back."

Ecklie turned and looked at him. "We'll talk when you get back to the lab. I want your guys to take tomorrow off. Swing can cover your shift." He turned and walked away from the little group.

"Well I've got some paper work to finish. Call me once Nick's settled and I'll swing by the hospital." Brass said.

"Okay." Grissom replied. With that Brass left. "Greg, take the truck Warrick drove here. I'll take Sara with me and we'll meet you at the hospital."

"Will do boss." Greg replied as he left.

Grissom turned and looked at Sara. He wanted so badly to take her in his arms and hold her, but that would have to wait. Instead he put his hand at the small of her back and led her over to his truck. Neither spoke on the way to the hospital, but Grissom held Sara's hand the entire ride. Once they arrived they quickly found Catherine and Warrick in the ER.

"What's the word Cath?" Grissom asked.

"The doctor just talked to Nick's parents and told them he's on morphine right now for the pain of the bites. Other than that he's going to be okay. Physically that is." She said sadly. "He's going to have to get therapy to help him with the emotional damage."

"Can we see him?" Sara asked.

"Not yet. They haven't got a room for him yet and once they do he's going to be out of it until morning anyway. We should all go home and get some rest. His family's here, so he won't be alone." Catherine said.

Greg drove Catherine and Warrick back to the lab and Sara rode with Grissom.

"I need to finish some paper work when we get back." Grissom stated.

"Okay." Sara said sadly. She was hoping he would have come home with her; she could really use his strong arms tonight to make her feel safe. "I'm going to go home and have a long hot bath."

Grissom's mind immediately went to Sara sitting in a bath surrounded by soft music and candles. "Hmm, sounds good."

Once they arrived at the lab Grissom went to his office and the rest of the gang went to the locker room. Sara wasn't sure why Grissom suddenly seemed distant, but she thought it would be best to give him space if that's what he needed. After all, he knew where to find her.

Grissom was sitting in his office finishing the paper work on Nick's case. It probably could have waited, but he wanted to get it wrapped up as quickly as possible, so they could all work on moving past this. He also wanted a moment to be alone and digest the emotions he was feeling. It was a fluke that Nick was the one who was abducted; it could have been anyone of them. It could have been Sara. So far in their relationship it had been Sara who needed his support, but never him. He was used to bottling up his feelings and dealing with them on his own, but right now all he could think about was Sara and how badly he needed her. Not a need of wanting to see her, but touch her, kiss her, feel her legs wrapped around him. He dropped his pen and almost sprinted out to the parking lot.

Sara was relaxing in her tub. It felt good to let the day's events drain from her body, but it would feel even better if she had a certain entomologist to share it with her. She knew once she saw him after the explosion she didn't want to wait any longer. She needed him, but she hesitated in calling him to tell him. It was obvious when he dropped her off that he wanted to be alone. She got out of the tub and put her pink silk robe on and entered her bedroom. She was relaxed and wanted to continue the feeling, so she put on a CD she had made with love ballads. It was complete cheddar, but she secretly loved it. She also lit a few scented candles and then looked around the room.

"Gee is my subconscious trying to tell me something or what." She said aloud to the room. She walked into the living room to retrieve a crossword puzzle she and Grissom had been working on the day before, when she heard a knock at the door. She smiled as she opened the door, knowing it was going to be Gil.

"I'm so glad you're here." She said.

Grissom didn't respond he just moved into her apartment and embraced her. He was relieved to finally hold her in his arms, but he wanted more. He let go of her and turned to shut the door and then looked back at Sara. He took in her appearance, how her robe clung to her in all the right places. He removed his coat and tossed it at the couch behind her then kissed her softly, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close to him. She returned the kiss, while her hands went to his shoulders and caressed their way to the curls at the nape of his neck. As the kiss deepened, his hands slid from her waist down her hips and rested on her bottom. He pulled her in closer and she could feel his growing erection. No words were needed to explain what he wanted, because she wanted it too. The time was finally right. She broke away from his kiss and she could have sworn she heard him whimper.

She smiled at him and took his hand as she led him to her bedroom. Grissom couldn't believe the sight before him and spoke for the first time since he arrived.

"Sara how did you know I…"

"I didn't." She said as she cut his off. "I was so relaxed after my bath that I wanted to continue with the mood. Nice coincidence." She said.

Grissom smiled at her and admired her beauty in the candle light.

"God you're beautiful." He sighed as he moved towards her and placed his hands on the side of her head and kissed her passionately.

Sara's hands moved to Grissom's waist where she began to tug on his shirt, finally freeing it from his pants. The two separated from their kiss as she lifted his shirt up and over his head. She was in awe as she looked at his bare torso for the first time and was very pleased with what she saw. Her hands immediately went to his chest and moved lightly over his body as if she were a blind woman reading brail. She explored him and learned his sensitive areas. As her hand softly glided over an erect nipple he let out a long moan and Sara knew she had hit a good spot.

It was now Grissom's turn to explore. He moved his hands to her shoulders and slid her robe down so it fell to her waist, exposing her full plump breasts to him. He suddenly felt as if time had stopped and he and Sara were the only two people on earth. She was more beautiful than he ever imagined or could have dreamed. His hands traveled from her shoulders to her sides and then up to cup both of her breasts. He began to massage them as his thumbs flicked over her nipples.

"Oh, god Gil." Sara moaned.

He removed one hand from her breast and began to caress her cheek as he bent his head and placed a trail of tiny kisses from her ear to the dip in her shoulder. His other hand moved to behind her and rubbed up and down her back as he pulled her into him, feeling her bare chest next to his. He lowered her to the bed and took a moment to admire her before he kicked his shoes off and removed his socks. Sara enjoyed the view of watching him watch her as he undressed down to his boxers. She could hardly believe this was happening after dreaming about it for years and wanted the moment to last a lifetime. He was about to remove his boxers when he suddenly stopped and stood there staring at her. She thought for a moment he may be changing his mind, but then she realized she was about to see him naked for the first time and he was probably feeling exposed. She smiled at him and moved her hand to the tie on her robe and gave it a tug, allowing it to open and reveal herself to him. She heard him sigh in appreciation and had never felt sexier in her life. He moved his hands back to his boxers and slid them to the floor finally allowing his erect member to be free. It was now Sara's turn to enjoy the view and enjoy it she did.

Grissom wanted to explore Sara's body and decided to start with her feet. He lifted her leg and placed feather light kisses around her ankle. He wanted to find all of her erogenous zones so he could slowly pleasure her and bring her body to absolute bliss. He traveled up her legs kissing and stroking his way to her thighs and intentionally moving past her core to her stomach. Sara felt like her skin was on fire and Grissom was trying to extinguish the flames with his tongue. She gasped as she finally felt his lips touch her breast and then suck lightly on her nipple. She never thought it was possible to feel such pleasure in her whole life.

Grissom finally made his way back to her mouth and once again captured her lips in a soft sensuous kiss. His hands began to roam down her body until he reached the apex of her core and Sara moaned in anticipation of what was to come. Finally his hand moved to her center and gently fondled her feeling her wetness. Her hips moved with the rhythm of his fingers and she thought she couldn't stand it any longer. Her hands traveled down to his front and captured his member and began to stroke him with the same pace.

"Oh Sara." He moaned. "I don't know how much longer I can hold on."

"I need you inside me Gil." She replied with a sigh.

That was all he needed to hear. In the blink of an eye he positioned himself between Sara's legs and looked deeply into her eyes; slowly he began to enter her inch by inch until he was finally completely contained by her. He leaned forward and kissed her tenderly and began to thrust in and out. The pace was slow at first, but then gradually built to a faster rhythm.

"Oh my god. Don't stop." Sara cried. Grissom could tell that she was getting close and was glad because he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold on. He began to feel her muscles tense around him.

"Oh Gil!" She screamed in ecstasy.

Hearing his name in the moment of passion sent him over the edge as he came with her. He immediately fell on top of her and rolled to the side as he slid out of her. Sara whimpered at the loss of contact, but Grissom took her in his arms and held her as their breathing returned to normal.

"Oh god Gil. That was incredible." Sara said.

"I know. I never thought it was possible to feel pleasure like that." Grissom replied.

The two laid there for awhile enjoying the peace and the feel of their naked bodies pressed together. Sara was beginning to feel sleepy and thought it best to blow out the candles before she drifted off. Once she was nestled back in Grissom's arms they soon feel fast asleep, both feeling the happiest they had ever felt, which was good considering the day they had.

_**TBC...**_

_**Please R&R. Thanks for all the great reviews. I love to hear people's thoughts.**_


	12. Chapter 12

**_Sorry for the delay in an update, but I do hope this chapter was worth the wait. On to season six and more M rated goodness. Spoilers for "Bite Me". Enjoy..._  
**

**CHAPTER 12**

Life was good, fantastic even. It had been a few months since Grissom and Sara consummated their relationship and both were feeling on top of the world. Mostly in part because neither of them had had sex in a really long time and now they were doing it every chance they got. Sara had never imagined that Grissom would be so virile, but she wasn't complaining; at least not about that. She was however beginning to notice a routine their relationship was falling into. Usually after shift was over they would go their separate ways, mostly due to one of them staying late, then after they had slept for awhile one would go to the others place to spend time together before they went to work. These moments used to be spent reading or watching documentaries, but now they were spent pleasuring one another. For the most part it didn't bother Sara that they never shared a bed, to sleep in that is, but it would be nice for a change to fall asleep in his arms after a long day. But Grissom was Grissom and just because they were dating didn't mean he instantly changed, it would be along time before he would be able to open himself fully to her.

Sara was currently processing a victim's bedroom when she saw a flashlight shine on her. She turned around and saw it was Grissom.

"Hey." She said. Grissom looked at her with a slight smile on his face, no doubt remembering their morning of absolute bliss. "Husband slept in the other room. His reading glasses were on the nightstand, clothing in the dresser."

"That's odd. A man and a woman, who don't share a bedroom, arrange to have a night alone, send their daughter to a relative, go out to dinner, have drinks by the pool, but they sleep in separate bedrooms." He stated while Sara continued to look around the room.

"Maybe one of them snored, or had insomnia, or liked to work at night." She theorized.

Grissom pondered this for a moment and then replied, "Or maybe they were suffocating each other and he couldn't breathe."

Sara looked at him for a moment. _What the hell does he mean by that, _she thought. She continued her search and opened the nightstand drawer to find lubricant.

"Sexual lubricant, it's half empty, sticky. You know you don't have to sleep in the same bed together to have sex, or have romance." She said rather pointedly. _I can make the same kind of comments buddy,_ she thought to herself.

Grissom quirked an eyebrow and looked perplexed. He wasn't sure what just happened, but they were at work and needed to get off the path they were heading down.

"I'm going to go see the doctor." He said with a smirk. Sara knew he was trying to avoid a dangerous conversation.

"I'll grid the house." She replied with a tiny smile. Grissom nodded and left the room.

Later in the shift Sara was in the layout room processing evidence. She couldn't get out of her head what Grissom had said at the crime scene. Was he really feeling that she was suffocating him? She always tried to respect his space and his privacy, but maybe that wasn't enough for him. Just then she saw Grissom enter, but didn't immediately acknowledge him until he was standing beside her.

"I'm almost finished printing." She said not looking at him.

"Okay. When you're done can you we go grab a coffee away from the lab?" He asked.

"I'm pretty busy." She replied.

"Please Sara. I think we need to talk about what happened today and I don't want to do it here." He pleaded with her.

"Well why not wait until after shift? Oh wait I forgot, you like to be alone after shift." She was starting to be curt with him.

"I've never said that." He replied defensively.

"When do you say anything Grissom? Your actions are all I have to go by." This conversation was heading south quickly.

"Okay, look I don't know what is going on here, but obviously something is bothering you and since this is neither the time nor the place for this discussion we will continue this after shift." He replied rather business like.

"Fine, your place or mine?" She asked mimicking his tone.

"Yours." He said and left the room.

Sara realized she probably shouldn't have said the things she said at work and would apologize later for it, but right now she needed to finish her job and then get her thoughts together for their conversation. He was right that things were bothering her and up until now she had been able to bury them inside. She realized holding on to her issues only meant she would blow up later, but it was a habit and it was going to be a tough one to break.

End of shift came and Sara was in the locker room getting her coat. She wasn't sure if she should tell Grissom she was leaving or not. She didn't have to wonder long when he came in.

"Hey." He said as he entered.

"Hey." She replied.

"I was going to pick up some breakfast before I come over. What can I get you?" He asked.

"Waffles and a fruit cup please." She said as she closed her locker. "I'll see you in a little while." She turned and walked out of the room leaving behind a very confused Gil Grissom.

A half an hour after Sara arrived home she heard a knock at the door. She had been dreading this moment all night. She and Grissom had never fought before, at least not since they'd started dating. She greeted him at the door and took the bags from him. She had already set out plates on the table, so she immediately began dishing out the food. At first the two sat in silence while they ate, finally Grissom spoke.

"So how do you we do this?" He asked while he took a bite of his omelet.

"Do what?" She asked back.

"Well there obviously seems to be a problem, but it's really hard for me to ascertain what it is when you won't tell me." He said.

"Me?" She questioned pointedly. "You were the one who started it at the crime scene."

"Started what?" He asked, trying not to raise his voice.

"With your comment about being suffocated." She replied.

"Sara I was theorizing about the case. I was suspecting the husband may have killed her and was trying to think of a possible motif. That's all. My comment had nothing to do with us," he paused, "but I think your comment did."

Sara put her fork down and took a deep breath. "Gil I enjoy our time together very much, but I'm starting to feel like there's a routine to it. It might be nice if we actually went out and I would really like it if you stayed over once and awhile."

"If you felt this way why didn't you say something?" He asked.

"I know how much you like your privacy, so I didn't want to intrude. I also guess I didn't want to rock the boat since things have been going so well. I'm sorry Gil; it's been a long time since I've been in a relationship. I'm just not used to communicating." She said.

"Well we can work on it together." He said as he reached for her hand. "If you want to go out more, we can do that. In fact would you like to go to the Natural History Museum on Saturday?"

"That would be lovely." She said with a smile.

"Okay so now that settles one problem. As for the other issue, I'd be more than happy to sleep over or have you stay at my place. I just never thought it was an issue, but now that I know I will make more of an effort. You've got to remember Sara; I haven't been in a serious relationship in a very long time. I'm rusty on what the protocol is." He winked at her.

Sara smiled at him. "Me too."

"So we're good?" He asked.

"We're good." She replied.

"Great. Well you know what that means Miss Sidle?" He said with a smirk as he got up from the table and took his dishes to the sink.

"What?" She asked as she followed him with the remains of her breakfast.

"This was a fight and we have now made up from said fight. I think some type of sexual interaction is supposed to happen now." He said as he turned, pinning her against the kitchen counter.

"Oh you think so, do you?" She asked seductively. She loved the playful Grissom because she knew it was a side of him that was reserved for her and her only.

"I do." He said and then placed his lips on hers. It wasn't long before his tongue was seeking entry, of which it gained easily.

Before Sara knew it she was being lifted up and set on the counter. Grissom immediately started kneading her breasts through her top as he sucked on her neck causing moans of pleasure to exit Sara. Her hand flew to his hair where she played with his curls, encouraging him not to stop. Soon his hand drifted down from her chest to the bottom of her shirt where Grissom lifted it up and over her head, soon followed by her bra. As his mouth sought out her erect nipples, his hands traveled to the button on her pants.

"Oh…god Gil…" Her zipper was undone. "…we…have…" His hand rubbed her through her wet panties. "…to…" His fingers moved the thin material aside and slowly entered her. "…sto.." She couldn't finish the last word as she became incoherent with bliss. She wanted to take this action to the bedroom, but it was apparent Grissom had no intention of stopping any time soon. He had found her G-spot and now Sara felt as if she were about to die from ecstasy. As soon as she came, Grissom moved his hands back up her body to help her off the counter. He held her close as she now attacked his neck with the same force he had on her. Her hands began to unbutton his shirt and shoved it off his shoulders so it landed on the floor. Then they moved down to his pants and quickly undid them, pushing them down to release his erect member. She began to stroke him causing him to moan in delight.

"Sara, I need you right now." Grissom whispered in her ear.

She took his hand and started to lead him to her bedroom, but he didn't move. Instead he pulled her back to him holding her with her back against his chest. She allowed his hands to caress their way from her breasts, down to her stomach and then slip into her pants as he pushed them and her panties to the floor. He bent her forward so she was able to lean on the counter and slowly entered her from behind. At first his thrusts were slow and long, but it didn't take long for them to get faster.

"Oh…yes…Gil!" Sara moaned in joy.

Grissom's hand wound around from her hip to find her center and rubbed her until he felt her muscles pulse around him.

"Ohhh…god…. Gilllll!" She screamed his name causing him to come with her.

"Ahhh…Saraaaa!"

Sara held onto the counter for a moment for fear of falling down if she let go. Grissom held onto her as he slipped out of her. He was so thankful that she was on the pill and didn't have to worry about a condom. Since they had started having sex it had never been like that. It always happened in the bedroom and usually after some time of cuddling, but this was fast and more urgent. Sara finally stood and led Grissom to her room, this time he followed. They got in to bed and held one another, both feeling sated and sleepy.

"Sara you just made one of my fantasies come true. Thank you." He said as he kissed her head.

"You are very welcome. Remind me to ask you what the rest of them are when I'm more awake because DAMN that was good." She said.

Grissom chuckled. "It most certainly was. If that's what make up sex is like, I think we need to fight more often."

_**TBC...**_

_**Please R&R! It's very motivating. Thanks.**_


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